Somethin' Stupid
by Kharma
Summary: Nigel finally makes a decision


Disclaimer: The only person in this who belongs to me is Stan, everybody else belongs to whoever it is they belong to.  
  
Notes: This is my first Relic Hunter fic in a very long time, so any and all reviews will be greatly appreciated.  
  
Somethin' Stupid  
  
"Nigel," Sydney said with a giggle as he sat on the grass. "I think you're drunk."  
  
"I am not!" he said indignantly as he tried to stand up, lost his balance and sat back down again.  
  
Sydney wasn't exactly sober either. They had just come from Claudia's wedding reception and the champagne had been flowing all night, but she wasn't anywhere near as drunk as Nigel. As Nigel's place was closer than hers and neither of them was in any condition to drive, they had decided to cut across campus and walk back to his house; Sydney would call a cab from there. With a sigh, she put down the shoes she had kicked off a few blocks back when her feet had started to ache, grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up.  
  
"Come one, Nigel. Up you get."  
  
"No," he said with a smile.  
  
Sydney folded her arms and glared half-heartedly at him. "What do you mean, no?"  
  
"I mean," he said calmly. "No. It's a nice night, I think I'll just stay here."  
  
"Well, I want to go home, so get up."  
  
Nigel sighed and lay back with his arms folded under his head. "Just look at all the stars, Syd."  
  
"Nigel, why don't you want to go home?" Sydney asked.  
  
Nigel didn't look away from the stars as he answered her. "Because if we go home, then this night is officially over and I don't want it to end." He suddenly sat up, took her hand and gently pulled her onto the grass with him. "Do you know how long it's been since we've had a chance to just sit back and relax?" he asked.  
  
"Way too long," Sydney admitted with a sigh as she sank onto the grass and stretched out beside him.  
  
She sighed in relief when she took the pressure off her feet and Nigel smiled. Moving around to sit in front off her, he lifted one foot into his lap and began to gently massage it. "Mmm," Sydney sighed. "That feels really good." She suddenly looked at him suspiciously. "Where did you learn to do that?" she asked.  
  
"Around," Nigel replied evasively. He had no intention of telling her that Kate had taught him to give foot rubs the last time she was in town. Finished with the foot he was holding, he put it down and pulled the other one into his lap.  
  
Sydney closed her eyes, lay back on the grass and felt every muscle in her body relax when he started massaging her foot. She felt as though she was floating and the only thing holding her to earth was the feel of Nigel's talented hands on her feet. She actually whimpered when he finally removed his hands and gently set her foot back down, making her blush slightly and Nigel smile.  
  
"Syd," Nigel whispered in her ear. She jumped and opened her eyes, startled to find him so close. He was leaning over her, his face close enough to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her skin. He gently brushed away a strand of hair that had come loose from the elaborate style it had been in all day, letting his fingers linger against her skin for a few seconds. "You're so beautiful, Sydney."  
  
Sydney felt a rush of heat in her entire body when she looked into his eyes. Nobody had ever looked at her with so much tenderness and desire mixed together before and it almost took her breath away. "What are you d-doing?" she stammered.  
  
"Either something incredibly stupid or something incredibly wonderful," Nigel said with a smile. "I honestly haven't decided yet.  
  
"This isn't Nigel," she thought as she felt her eyes drift closed before she forced them open again. "It's just the champagne and the stars and the moonlight making him act like this."  
  
Nigel smiled and gently traced one finger over her face. "It's not the champagne making me do this, Sydney," he said knowing perfectly well what she was thinking. "This is something I've wanted to do a for a long time. I've just never had the courage to do it before."  
  
"And you do now?" Sydney asked quietly.  
  
"And I do now," Nigel admitted. He knew that Sydney was perfectly capable of stopping him anytime she wanted and he took the fact that she hadn't already beaten him to a bloody pulp as a good sign. Taking a chance, he closed the few inches that still separated them and brushed his lips against hers. Once; twice; three times he softly kissed her, waiting for a response.  
  
Sydney's mind was in turmoil. Since the first touch of his lips on her own, she had wanted nothing more than to pin him to the ground and kiss him until they were both gasping for breath; if she was honest with herself, she had wanted that for a long time, but something was holding her back. She suddenly realised what that something was. Fear. She wasn't afraid that Nigel would hurt her; she knew that would never happen. She was afraid that if she gave in to the feelings that were racing through her, she would ruin the best relationship she had ever had in her entire life.  
  
Nigel reluctantly pulled away when she didn't return the kiss. Sydney reached out to stop him. "Nigel, wait. Let me explain."  
  
"It's alright, Syd. Really. You don't have to explain anything." He smiled ruefully. "I guess it was something stupid after all."  
  
Sydney suddenly grinned and pushed him until he was laying flat on his back on the grass. "You talk too much," she said as she straddled his hips and grabbed his hands, forcing them to the ground on either side of his head, effectively pinning him down. She smiled when she saw the shock on Nigel's face. "As I was about to say before you interrupted me. It's not that I don't want to, because believe me I do, I'm just afraid."  
  
Nigel couldn't believe it. Sydney was the bravest person he knew. She never admitted to feeling fear. "What are you afraid of? You have to know I would never hurt you," he said seriously.  
  
"I know that, Nigel. I'm afraid of ruining what we already have but I just realised something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I realised that although this could go horribly wrong and I could end up losing the best thing in my life, it could also turn out to be the best thing I ever did."  
  
"What are you saying?" Nigel asked and Sydney smiled before leaning over and lightly kissing him.  
  
"I want to give this, give us, a try. Whether it's for one night or a lifetime, I have to know."  
  
"I like the lifetime idea," Nigel said with a shy smile.  
  
"So do I," Sydney admitted. "But we need to take this slow. We can't rush into anything."  
  
"Syd, it's taken us five years to get this far. If we go any slower we'll come to a complete standstill." Nigel said with a groan and Sydney smiled.  
  
"Well, then stop talking and start speeding things up a little." Finally letting go of his hands, she leaned down and kissed him.  
  
Nigel's' hands immediately swept around her back and pulled her tight against him. Although he loved the fact that she was practically stretched full length on top of him, which gave him plenty of opportunity for exploration, it wasn't enough. With a low growl, he rolled them both over so that Sydney's body was pinned beneath his.  
  
"What the hell am I doing?" Sydney thought as Nigel abandoned her mouth and started kissing and nuzzling her neck. "I can't believe I'm laying on the grass with Nigel in a highly public place and we're making out like a pair of horny teenagers." Her hands crept around his back and pulled his dress shirt out of his pants, she slid her hands beneath it and marvelled in the feel of the muscles that he usually kept hidden under his clothes. All further thought was lost to both of them at that point. They were so focused on each other that they completely forgot where they were.  
  
They were still kissing a few minutes later when a beam of light hit them and a very amused voice said, "Do I have to get a bucket of cold water to throw over you two or are you going to go home and finish this there?"  
  
Nigel groaned and dropped his head onto Sydney's shoulder, bright red with embarrassment. Sydney looked up into the grinning face of a retired police officer that occasionally did a shift as campus security. "Hello Stan," she said calmly.  
  
"Professor Fox," he said in greeting.  
  
"Considering the circumstances, I think you can call me Sydney," she said with a smile. "You know Nigel, of course."  
  
"Everybody knows Nigel."  
  
Nigel raised his head from where it was buried in Sydney's neck and smiled slightly, totally mortified. "Hi Stan." He looked back down at Sydney. "You're just loving this, aren't you?" he asked.  
  
"I love you," she said seriously. The smile that lit up Nigel's face spoke more than words ever could. "I love you, too," he said as he leant down and kissed her again.  
  
"Would you two break it up? I really don't want to have to deal with the paperwork involved with arresting you," Stan said with a laugh.  
  
"Sorry Stan," they said at the same time as they helped each other up off the grass. Still holding on to each other, they walked off; stopping every few metres to kiss and Stand watched them go with an indulgent smile.  
  
"It's about damn time," he said and then had a thought. "I think I just won the pool. Those 200 bucks will come in handy for a wedding present." Stan walked away whistling, leaving Sydney and Nigel to make their own way home.  
  
The end. 


End file.
